Sawdust Art Festival holding ‘Spirit of Aloha’ event to help Hawaii wildfire victims
As a community that lives with the same fears, the hearts and minds of Laguna Beach residents have been with those dealing with the wildfires in Hawaii.
In hopes of providing aid to the tragic situation in Maui, the Sawdust Art Festival is hosting a weekend-long fundraiser it is calling the “Spirit of Aloha.”
The three-day event, which began Friday, will see the festival donate a portion of all proceeds from the weekend to the Hawaii Community Foundation.
A donation center is present on site. Organizers are bringing Hawaiian culture to the stage with themed art projects and musical performances featuring ukuleles.
Andrew Soliz, the president of the board for the Sawdust Festival, said it didn’t take much campaigning to get the artists to take action to help those in need.
“Many artists here have family or friends, or spend a lot of time on the island, and it was an immediate yes,” Soliz said of the support for the fundraising event. “The fact that it came together so rapidly and almost seamlessly shows that it’s a thing that is supported energetically and by the universe, and by the good hearts of people.”
Nevada Silva, a mixed media sculpture artist, said his mother and sister lost everything in the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire.
“The things that these people have seen and shouldn’t have seen, a lot of them aren’t prepared for things like that,” Silva said. “It’s disturbing for them. My sister and a lot of other people haven’t slept since it happened, and it’s a nightmare. … My sister is even reaching out for her and her friends, trying to seek out people that are good with trauma… counseling, just people to talk to. Right now, it’s really bad.”
Silva expressed his gratitude for the plans being put in place. Brittney Silva, his wife, added that patrons would be able to color in Hawaiian-themed postcards, which she hoped would be mailed to kids at the YMCA.
“We’re encouraging all of our guests to come in Hawaiian attire to just connect with us through art, and fashion in the form of artwork,” Brittney Silva said. “We’re going to be having Hawaiian-themed craft projects. We’re going to be making a banner near the front entrance. It has a QR code, and that goes directly to the Hawaii Community Foundation, so it makes it really easy for our guests to scan the code and donate directly through there.”
Laguna Beach’s artistic community has rallied around others in crisis, notably donating works to raise money to benefit an embattled Ukraine in an auction held at Forest and Ocean Gallery last year.
In light of the devastation in Hawaii, Mayor Bob Whalen issued a statement of solidarity with the community that’s 2,500 miles away last week.
“As a community that has experienced the terror and destruction of a devastating wildfire, our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Maui,” Whalen said. “In particular, we extend our condolences to the families and friends of those whose lives have been lost. We pray for the safety of all residents, visitors and first responders still at risk and for the fires to be brought under control soon.
“This is a reminder to all of us who live in high fire risk zones that we must continually look for ways to mitigate fire risk and be prepared to evacuate in the event of a fast-moving fire.”
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